Pinions
by Negative Creep
Summary: What fortunes will the little gypsy boy named Joe and his black steed Teioh encounter in their travels? From orphan boy to champion chocobo racer, follow their story within. Chapter 3 now FIXED.
1. Default Chapter

Pinions

**Pinions**  
by Negative Creep 

  
  


_"My father is a bird;  
My mother is his mate;  
Over the water I sail without boat.  
Over the water I sail without boat.  
My mother is a bird;  
My father is her mate."  
_

***

The first thing Joe ever felt was feathers.

Feathers. Warm, soft, downy. Dusty-smelling, bird smelling. They gave him life. If there had been anything the child could have had, anything he could have wished for, it would have been great winged pinions, like the rest of his family.

The only family little Joseph had ever known came in colours of green, blue, black, and gold. Although he was a strange child, wingless, featherless, and beakless, his adopted family loved him and cared for him just like a normal chick. No one ever reminded him of his disabilities, and, other than having no wings, he thought himself quite normal.

The only creatures that knew the origin of young Joe were the Chocobos. 

***

The strange story had begun on a stormy day two years before, in the vast nothingness of the Kalm Plains. The matriarch of the flock, a great blue River Chocobo, had been looking for greens, as per usual. Instead of tasty greens, however, she had found a human baby, hidden in the grass by a stream.

True, he did look odd. And the noises that came out of his mouth were enough to make an eight-year old black cob molt in the middle of summer. But he was alone, and the cries he made reminded the bird of her own chicks. So, without really knowing why, the River Chocobo gently picked him up by his swaddling and carried him back to the flock.

The dark-haired child, abandoned and unwanted at birth, had found a home without even knowing it.

And for the past two years the man-cub had been raised as well as the chocobos could manage. They fed him, kept him warm, and protected him from the many predators on the plains, just as any chocobo chick would be protected. At night he slept in the middle of them, in a pile of feathers that would have made the most comfortable feather bed feel like stone.

When the nomadic flock moved, he was carried in the gentle beaks of his flock. Later on, when he was a little bigger, the child learned to ride on their backs, gripping a handful of neck feathers tightly. From the time he could walk, he was on the backs of the chocobos.

The chicks he had been raised with were his brothers and sisters, although they grew quicker than their tiny sibling. They never pecked at him or beat at the little boy with their powerful wings, as they often did each other in rough horseplay. They treated him with infinite gentleness.

One especially, a small black male, was never far away from the adoptee. He watched over him with the vigilance of a protective mother, and the two were inseparable. It was the black whom Joseph rode most of the time, and when the bird flapped his wings and ran, the toddler would hang on and laugh wildly, enjoying the soaring sensation.

Joe might have spent his whole life with the birds, living a nomadic existence. He might have known nothing but peace and freedom for the rest of his days, except for the event that occurred his third year with the chocobos....

****

It started out like any other day. The flock was scattered over a section of marsh searching for the ever elusive Greens. When some were found, a wark of triumph would erupt, and then silence would settle again, the only sounds the low clucking of the chocobos and the _scritch scritch scritch_ of their great claws as they scraped the earth.

Joseph and his black-feathered brother weren't there at the time. The black enjoyed roaming the mountain peaks, and his companion on these forays was almost always the little boy, who enjoyed the high places almost as much as his mount. This particular day they were gone until almost dusk, and by the time they returned the skies were painted with the gold and red of sunset.

Silence reigned over all, and as Joe and his brother topped a hill near the marsh, they could see the flock still scratching peacefully for greens. It was a pretty tableau, the colorful flock pecking idly in the sun's last rays.

It was the last time Joe would see his chocobos in peace.

As the black chocobo descended the mountain to join his flock, there was a sound of clattering stones and footsteps from the other side of the valley. Every feathered head in the flock snapped to attention. The birds were used to the various dangers of monsters and the elements, but none were prepared for what occurred next.

A shot rang out in the dusk, and a yellow chocobo fell, a bright red stain spreading out from it's breast. The bird kicked it's powerful legs several times convulsively and was still. The rest of the flock, seeing this sight and hearing the gunshot, panicked and ran, scattering to the four winds as they went. But no chocobo, however fast, can outrun a bullet. Several more were brought down by the unseen marksman, and soon only half their numbers remained. The survivors fled into the gathering gloom, and soon the silence returned. The only sign of what had happened were the strewn bodies of the dead, bloodstained and pitiful.

When a caravan of gypsies passed through the valley later that night they came upon a strange sight. In the glow of the oil lamps sat a small child, stark naked, sobbing and clinging to one of the bloody bodies. His face was buried in the blue feathers of the dead matriarch.

***

The little caravan crossed the plains like a tortoise moving towards a lettuce leaf - not fast by any means, but determined to get to it's destination sooner or later. A small cloud was kicked up by the chocobos pulling the wagons, the dust of the road covering their feathers, the wagon covers, and the brightly embroidered clothing of the gypsies that drove the birds onward over the plains.

Behind the wagons, bringing up the rear, was a boy of about 9, riding bareback on a chocobo. Like the rest of his family, he wore bright clothing. A large floppy hat three sizes too big rested on his dark head, red and black with embroidery. His clothes matched the hat, and they itched like crazy. He would have preferred to ride naked, but that wasn't allowed here. It hadn't been an available option for a long, long time.

When the gypsies had first tried to put their hands on Joe, he had gone quite berserk. The foundling had flapped his arms as if he had wings, and when that hadn't worked, he had tried to peck the gentle hands that picked him up from the chocobo's body. He had screamed and made noises that sounded remarkably like an angry young chickabo. In short, Joe had behaved every bit like the wild creatures that had raised him. He hated and feared men, and had tried to run away from his captors several times.

But the group that had found him had been gentle. A family of chocobo-trainers and performers had taken him under their wing *so to speak* and tamed the wild boy. Eventually Joe was taught to speak, wear clothing, and behave as a normal human child. He had an uncanny way with the chocobos, and when he was big enough helped train the tame birds for the shows his adopted family put on whenever they passed through a town.

He learned how to do handstands and backflips on the back of a moving chocobo. He taught them tricks that astounded even his family, and was soon renowned as a master trainer of the birds. At the age of 9 he had become something of a celebrity among the caravan -- Chocobo Joe, the wild boy.

The chocobo he rode was the same black steed that he had ridden in the high mountains so long ago. After Joe's capture, the black bird had trailed behind the wagons like a bloodhound on the trail of a wanted criminal. Thinking it to be an omen of some type, the gypsies had roped the black and tied him behind their wagons.

The young black cob was a hellion. He wouldn't let anyone touch him. If they tried, they would have his powerful beak and feet on their skull in a matter of seconds. There were serious thoughts about selling the troublesome bird off at the next village and letting a chocobo-breaker deal with him, until Joe and the bird were reunited.

When the little boy had seen his old friend in those unfamiliar surroundings, he'd given a happy shriek and wrapped his arms around the bird's scaly legs. The bird had recognized his old adopted nestmate, given an equally happy wark and nuzzled the boy's cheek with his downy coal-coloured head. The gypsies had just looked at each other in astonishment and backed away.

The following years had been happy for both the boy and his chocobo. The gypsies were never in one place for too long, and Joe got to see much of the world from the back of his black bird. At the moment they were headed for a town the youth had never been to before : Midgar. He hoped it would be big and exciting; if there was one thing Joe enjoyed it was an adventure.

***

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	2. Midgar

**Pinions**  
Chapter 2 

"_That's_ where we're going next?" the incredulous boy asked his chocobo.

"Wark?"

At this redoubtable reply the gypsy boy smiled and patted his steed.

"Yeah, I was wondering that too. How do they see the sun under there? How do they get fresh air?"

The two creatures, boy and bird, sat staring at the gigantic monolith of Midgar, some thirty miles away and already visible. All around, even at this distance, the town had sucked the surrounding land black and withered. Joe had never seen anything like it in all his short years of travelling. The idea of going under those gigantic plates frightened him a little, and he rested a hand on the black chocobo's neck to comfort himself.

The bird seemed to understand his brother's fear. His pushed his head under Joe's idle hand and gave a small cluck. Joe smiled slowly and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I guess it does look like a gigantic mushroom, doesn't it?"

The boy laughed, and if chocobos can laugh, the one he was astride surely did.

"I will not be alone, eh Teioh? We'll face the mushroom together! And then we'll eat it!"

All this talking of food had made both the youths hungry, and without even a command the chocobo turned and headed back for camp. Grumbling stomachs, much like warks, are a universal language.

---

Within two days the caravan had reached its destination. Midgar was much harder to laugh at when the full unholy glory of the city was stretched out before you, rearing into the sky like the direct opposite of the Iifa Tree of legend. The wagons were drawn closer and closer to the gaping maw of the metropolis with each passing mile, the shadow the city cast threatening to take them all in and never let them go once enmeshed.

Joe wanted nothing better than to bolt out of line and ride Teioh somewhere far away from this ominous city, but he had unfortunately been put in the middle of the caravan so that he could tend to the unhappy chocobos as they neared the town. Black clouds of dust rose up from under their plodding feet, nearly choking both birds and men. There was no vegetation anywhere. The city wasn't a mushroom; the gypsy child understood that now. It was a gigantic leech.

The caravan rolled onwards, and soon the entire motley group was passing through the Sector 3 gates. Most of them didn't know this, as illiteracy ran high in the camp, but it was a way into the city, and that was all that mattered.

Joe felt like he was stepping into a giant corral, great glass walls rising to hem him in and break his spirit. A lengthening shadow had fallen on the group since they arrived at the city, but the boy had still been able to see the blue sky and the sun. Now even _they_ were slowly receding, disappearing more and more behind the plate with every step Teioh took forward. A great suffocating weight fell on him. If this was how it was at the gate, how would it be when he was in the heart of the city? Fear gripped at his heart like a vise, and it was all the young boy could do to stay on the back of his bird and keep moving forward.

He took one final look over his shoulder as they crossed into Sector 3, trying to burn the look of the blue sky into his mind. Then he was jostled onwards by the crowd, and the heavy iron gates slammed shut behind them with a mighty clang. No turning back now.

They were inside Midgar.

---

If the outside had looked intimidating and frightening ... the inside was merely soul-crushing and depressing. Everywhere piles of rubbish and debris stood, looming like perverse imitations of the mountains Joe and Teioh both loved so much. Coal dust and other pollution lay thick over every surface. Nothing grew because of the lack of sunlight and fresh air. Any humans that stayed too long were usually short lived; pneumonia, rickets, and other various diseases ran rampant. The only things that flourished in the slums of Midgar were hopelessness, crime, and the monsters that swarmed thick in the no man's lands between sectors, feeding on rubbish and unwary vagrants.

Joe had never dreamed in all his short life that there was anywhere as bad as this place. His entire existence had been spent outside, first with the chocobos and then with the freedom-loving gypsies. He wondered why the performers were even there; he knew they must hate this as much as he. He moved Teioh up beside one of the wagons and yelled at the driver.

"Claude, why are we here? Aren't there enough villages on the outside to keep us out of this wretched place?"

The other boy, ten years his senior, looked even paler than his young comrade. He shook his head sadly and gestured to the plate.

"Some rich man up there heard about us and wants to see the show. Shin- Shinree or somethin' like that. He's willing to pay more money than any of us has ever seen, if we'll just come and perform for him and his kid. We can't pass up this kind of money, even if it IS in the cursed city." He spat into the black dirt of the road to emphasize his point and turned his attention once more to guiding his caravan through the mine field that passed for a road in this dark place.

Joe nodded and went back to ruminating. With more money he could buy a shiny new show saddle for Teioh, and some clothes that didn't itch ...

"... And more greens than you could possibly eat," Joe whispered to Teioh conspiratorially.

The bird's eyes brightened noticeably at this, but he kept quiet and continued to plod onwards, the very model of a calm, demure bird.

Their journey through the slums continued, and the further they went, the more gut-wrenching the levels of poverty and decay became. Families living in ramshackle hovels came out to beg. Other pedestrians and carts whizzed by, leaving only clouds of soot to mark their passing. Every once in awhile a car would come clanking and honking by, nearly terrifying both the chocobos and Joe to death. The paved surfaces hurt Teioh's clawed feet, used to green grass and soft mud.

Once, while they were waiting for some traffic to clear so the wagons could move forward, Joe saw an odd sight. Next to the busy pathways stood a girl just about his age, looking immeasurably sad. She wore bright makeup and a pretty dress; she looked like she might even have a good life somewhere. Why, then, did she seem so miserably unhappy? The expression on her face nearly broke the boy's heart.

"Hey!" he shouted from Teioh's back, waving one hand at the girl. "Cheer up! Life's not THAT bad, eh?"

The girl eyed him sadly and continued to stare into the traffic, ignoring the chocobo-riders completely. After a few moments an older man who looked to be her father walked up.

_See? She's got a father! Why does she have to look so blue?_

Then the man handed her a handful of gil and the two disappeared off into the crowd.

Joe stared shocked at the space the girl had occupied only moments before. Then the traffic moved on, and Joe clucked to Teioh, continuing onwards with a bowed head.


	3. The Other Side

Pinions  
Chapter 3

Sector Three's train station was always swarming with activity, morning, noon, or night. Businessman or beggar, flower girl or dancing girl, all paths converged at the railway platform. For Joe and Teioh, working their way through all these intertwining threads of fate, it looked like less like a busy hub of transportation and more an overcrowded ant hill freshly poked with a stick. The mushroom of Midgar was in actuality a huge, bustling hive.

A representative of President Shinra had been sent to meet them at the station and lead them to their final destination. Train tickets were to be paid for by the President himself, but the wagons would have to be left in storage until the party returned from the upper plate - if there was anything left at all to reclaim once they returned, that is. There was a fair amount of grumbling at this announcement as everything the gypsies owned resided in those vehicles, but they grudgingly agreed and boarded the passenger cars, preparing for the long ride ahead in baggage class.

Joe was a bit confused. He stood by holding Teioh's reins, watching as all the others in his tribe boarded the train car, wondering what was expected of him. Obviously he couldn't take the chocobo on-board, but he didn't want to hand his companion over to the gruff men who were handling the wagon chocobos either ...

One of the railway workers, a grizzled-looking older fellow outfitted in red, approached the pair authoratively.

"Here kid, lemme take that bird off yer hands," he grunted, reaching for the reins. Before either Joe or the worker could react, Teioh had reared angrily and delivered a mighty peck to the man's shoulder-blade, furious at the presumptuousness of this stranger daring to lay hands on him. The livestock-handler fell back and clutched at the injured body part in pain and anger, dropping the reins to the ground.

"You stupid son of a--"

Joe swiftly stepped between Teioh and the enraged worker, soothing the distraught cob with a variety of clucks and whistles. After several minutes of these ministrations the angry bird began to settle down. The whites of his eyes stopped showing, the enraged warking faded into quiet clucks, and ruffled, raised feathers once again lay flat against the black body. Where there had previously stood a very angry chocobo, there was now nothing more than a docile kitten.

Joe turned to the injured employee, still holding onto Teioh's reins tightly.

"I'm sorry if my brother hurt you, but he is not used to anyone handling him but me. If you'll direct me to his lodgings we will soon be out of your way."

The railroad worker glowered at the chocobo for a moment, then nodded and motioned for them to follow. Joseph heaved a sigh of relief, shaking his finger at the now-docile Teioh once the other man's back was turned.

"Another stunt like that and we'll be in trouble for sure," he grumbled under his breath to the unrepentant avian, who seemed not in the slightest way disturbed by his adventure moments before.

The boy and his bird were led to a row of boxcars towards the back of the train. One of these great wooden hulls was open, and from inside quiet clucks and warks could be heard, a strong smell of hay and warm bodies wafting from within. The railroad man, still rubbing his bruised shoulder-blade and eyeing them warily, motioned to the interior.

"There should be an empty stall in there. Make yerself at home, if ye plan on staying with 'em."

Joe nodded his thanks and led the black chocobo up the ramp into the darkness of the boxcar. As soon as he and Teioh were safely inside, the great sliding door was slammed shut behind them, leaving only the dim lamps that hung along the stalls to light their path. Rows of chocobo heads watched them silently, all colours and temperaments represented. A few warked welcomes to the newcomers, but for the most part the creatures were eerily quiet.

Just as the railman had said, there was an empty stall right at the end of the row of stalls, conveniently located by the door. Joe ushered Teioh in, tied his headstall loosely to a beam so the bird could move about, and shut the stall door with a click. There didn't seem to be any feed around to give the bird, but that was for the best: chocobos were notoriously colicky on long trips, and all the gypsy boy needed now was to be trapped inside a stall with a sick Teioh.

A tremor ran through the car, and there was a grating sound from underneath the train. With a great lurch they were off, bound for what fate no-one on board could possibly tell.

Joe settled down at the chocobo's feet, making himself a nest in the dirty straw that lined the car's floor. He wished it was cleaner, for Teioh's sake, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The boxcar rocked back and forth like a cradle, the wheels rattling and shaking gently underneath Joe's head. The long events of the day combined with the lullaby of the railroad soon had the youth fast asleep, snoring away softly in the hay.

Teioh, seeing that his master was napping, very carefully stepped around the inert form. Cooing softly, the black bird settled down beside the young boy, snuggling close and fluffing his feathers up to keep them both warm. With a tired little grunt of resignation the chocobo tucked his head under one wing and soon followed his brother into the dream world.

---

The pair were awakened the next morning by a great jarring motion that shook the entire train down to its tracks. The brakes squealed, cars rattled, and most of the other chocobos clucked nervously, pacing back and forth in the straw like agitated tigers. Teioh had been good the entire journey, but now he too was warking agitatedly. Stumbling to his feet, the dark-haired boy made an attempt to comfort his troubled friend.

"Awww, nothing bad's happening, featherhead! You're just angered because of your lack of supper last night, aren't you?"

The bird glared at him for a moment, then continued to pace around the box. Joe knew when Teioh had had enough, and he settled himself into a corner of the box stall to wait things out.

Soon enough the train ground to a halt. With one final mighty clang and a jolt that threw most of the other birds off their feet, the journey was ended. A worker came and threw open the doors, whistling a popular tune as he went about his morning work. Sunlight poured into the dark interior, illuminating every nook and cranny with a cheerful golden glow.

Joe sensed something strange in all this, but he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. The railwayman, the song, the sunlight that flooded the boxcar ...

"That's what it is," he murmured to himself. "Sunlight. We must be on the top plate; otherwise there wouldn't be any."

The gypsy boy thought he had never seen anything quite as beautiful as those thick bars of sunshine streaming through the double doors of the train. With an excited whoop the boy jumped up, pushed his hat down onto his head, and whistled for Teioh, who promptly dropped his sulk and followed the boy out of the stall once untethered. The two were exiting the boxcar and had almost made their way onto the platform when another railwayman rushed up, almost as agitated as Teioh's 'friend' of the previous day had been.

"Hey kid! You can't take that bird out on the streets!"

Joe stared back at him uncomprehendingly.

The railroad worker sighed and repeated his message, slower this time. "Look kiddo, you can't take a chocobo out on the streets up here unless you have the direct permission of the Shinra Corporation. I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave your bird in his stall."

The words finally sank in: He would have to leave Teioh on the boxcar as long as he was up here or until he had permission to move the chocobo around. With a disgusted sigh, the boy whistled for the bird and led him back into the dusty box stall, making sure to tie the reins securely several times before he finished.

"I'm sorry Teioh, but you've gotta stay here until I'm done with this fat cat, alright? Then we can go back outside and run wherever we want, I promise. I don't know why it's like this ... won't be able to do any tricks without my brother, am I right?" He patted Teioh on the neck one final time, heaved another heavy sigh, and left the car, not daring to look back. It was a hard, hard road they were travelling, and Joe was not at all sure the pay-off would be worth the toll, in the end.

---

Joe joined the other gypsies and their guide on the platform by the train cars. They all looked confused and out of place in this strange new area, bereft of birds or wagons. The boy wondered vaguely if he looked as bewildered as they did, and decided he most probably did. His separation from Teioh had shaken the gypsy boy more than he would have ever admitted or expected.

As they left the platform and followed Shinra's guide down the maze of streets that bordered railway station, Joe felt a pang of guilt at leaving the black chocobo behind in this strange place (not the last he would feel that day). Still, he could at _least _enjoy his walk, even if he wasn't viewing the sights and sounds of Upper Midgar from the back of a sturdy chocobo. It wasn't often one of his social status got to see this sector of the city; most of the lesser castes were strictly kept off the top plates, living the whole of their lives without ever seeing the sun or a un-graffitied surface. Their entire lives, from cradle to grave, were spent in the dark and the grime.

At this early hour of the day the streets were quiet, the clean cobblestones shining cheerfully in the morning sunlight. Rows of houses stood intact and whole on either side of the road, each complete with a large, green yard gleaming lushly in front of it. The little boy felt an overwhelming urge to throw himself onto them and roll luxuriantly - they looked and smelled so fresh! - but severely doubted that was on the "allowed" list. So he continued walking, occasionally shooting a hungry glance at the emerald squares over his shoulder.

It was early summer, so most of the lawns were being tended by automatic sprinkler systems that whirred quietly as they threw water over the grass. A light breeze was blowing, and the mist coming out of the sprinklers covered both the grass _and_ the gypsies, refreshing and reinvigorating the travellers as they passed by. Small droplets frosted Joe's face, vaguely reminding him of the spray off a waterfall he and Teioh had once discovered high in the Nibelheim Mountains. That had been a good day. The boy felt another pang of guilt at leaving Teioh behind and picked up the pace slightly. He'd have to tell the bird everything once he got back, otherwise the black chocobo would most certainly go into a sulk.

The farther the group walked, the larger and more ornate the houses became. Smooth concrete sidewalks bordered the byways, great iron-wrought lamp-posts rising out of them like strange metal trees. Most of these houses were surrounded by huge sculpted fences with even larger gates; some of them even sported marble beasts, who guarded the gateways like silent sentinels. All kinds of animals were represented -- lions, dogs, dragons, and one set of mythical beasts that looked like a cross between a great wolf and a puma, sculpted out of red marble. Joe had to laugh at that one; what imaginations these rich people had!

The little group soon reached a mansion that made all the others surrounding it look like the previous day's slum dwellings - less of a mansion and more of a palace, if one was being perfectly honest. Great columns lined its front, sculpted out of white marble that clashed mightily with the rest of the house's bright red brick exterior. The lawn looked less like a front yard and more like a polo field, greenery stretching unbroken from fence to front porch. A black iron fence surrounded it all, sharp gold points projecting from the top like the protective stockade of some ancient battlement.

Joe noticed none of this. His wide eyes were locked on the twin animal sentinels that stood guard beside the gigantic gate, frozen in attack positions.

They were black marble chocobos, stone wings stretched in flight.

---

The guide led them through the gates and down the tree-lined driveway, shadow and sunlight dappling through the tree branches so much they nearly blinded Joe until he remembered to pull his hat down. There was a little courtyard behind the monstrous facade of the house, and this was where the gypsies were led and left to wait while President Shinra was fetched from the mansion's interior.

The courtyard was as beautiful as any part of the mansion the child had seen thus far. The usual green slice of lawn was there, but directly in the middle of it stood a white fountain, a slim angel perched on a pillar in the middle. The water bubbled out of its mouth and down into the pool below, the tinkling sound of it adding to the general air of richness that seemed to infect everything up here. Joe watched it, fascinated.

"How does the water keep coming out of its mouth like that?" he asked one of his fellow gypsies, intrigued and delighted by this novelty. "Is there an endless supply of water in this place?"

His inspection of the fountain, however, was pulled to a halt when two new figures entered the courtyard -- President Aluicious Shinra himself, accompanied by his ten-year old son, Rufus.

The first thing Joseph thought of when he saw the president was the Fat Chocobo God, and he had to stifle his laughter at the uncanny resemblance between the two. The flabby, hanging jowls, the tiny slitted eyes, the ponderous way he carried himself -- it was almost too much for the boy to handle. Excepting the fact that President Shinra was wearing an obnoxious red suit and had a bad toupee, the two were dead ringers for each other.

He quickly looked away from the mustachioed face of the elder Shinra and contented himself with studying the son. Here was something more sinister to look at, something much less laughable.

Rufus Shinra must have taken after his mother, for he looked almost nothing like his bloated sire. Tall for his age, slim, wearing a haughty expression on his face and an immaculate white suit that looked like it had just came out of the box, there was something vaguely unhealthy in the youth's clear blue eyes. Joe didn't know quite what it was, but he knew he feared it, and unconsciously shied away from the blond-haired heir. Here were the first stirrings of ruthless power.

As if sensing the gypsy boy's dismay, Rufus eyed the crowd warily and approached the assembled peoples, glancing over each of them disdainfully before moving his gaze to the next. His eyes finally rested on Joe, and the two boys eyed each other for a moment, the hazel against the blue. Rufus narrowed his eyes and approached the other boy until he was but a scant foot away. He scowled at the chocobo-raised child, wrinkling up his pale face in disdain.

"Daddy, why do these people stink so much? This one smells like a-a-chocobo!"

Joe blushed through his tanned skin and pulled his hat down over his eyes. He had always loved the smell of the chocobos, but the way this boy spoke of it made the scent seem almost shameful.

President Shinra hastily moved between the gypsy boy and Rufus, trying to prevent any direct confrontation. "Now now Rufus, we can't _all_ take regular baths, you know." He laughed too loudly, nervously puffing at the cigar dangling from his mouth like a dead Tantal Green. The smoke choked Joe almost as much as the dust at Sector 3 Gate had. He wished this fat man and his spawn would finish with them; the walls of the courtyard suddenly seemed to be squeezing in on him.

The bloated president turned to address the crowd of gypsies, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"I've called you here for a purpose, my roving friends, so let me not waste any more of your time with petty chatter. You see, I've heard from several of my sources that you have in possession a most remarkable chocobo. It's said that this bird can outrun the fastest of its rivals without even breaking a sweat. If these rumours are true, then I would like to see this fine creature in action - if, of course, you don't mind racing him against one of my own chocobos. Do you accept?"

The leader of the caravan looked at Teioh's master, as did the rest of the gypsies. If he accepted, a great deal of money would be made. If he didn't ...

They needn't have worried. Joe had great confidence in Teioh; there was no bird on earth he had ever seen who could outrun his fleet- footed brother, and if there was one, it certainly wouldn't be here in the stables of this overfed walrus and his pale son. The gypsy nodded.

"I'll do it."

President Shinra nodded and beamed, his flabby jowls pulled back into a grin. "Excellent! The race will be held tomorrow morning at my private racetrack. For tonight you can all stay in my stables; there are plenty of empty stalls for all. Aluicious Shinra's heart is as big as his pockets, you see. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my business - no rest for the hard worker, eh? Good day." This said, the president turned and exited the courtyard, Rufus trailing along behind him.

In front of his opponent the strawberry-blond boy paused, looking down his nose at the gypsy. The look on his face said he was not impressed nor concerned about the possibilities of being beaten by someone of such inferior breeding and class. With a final sneer at Joe's appearance, Rufus followed his father out of the yard. Joe heaved a sigh of relief as the boy disappeared from view; it had only been a few minutes but he had already become embroiled in a hate/hate relationship with the snobbish Shinra heir.


	4. The Night Before The Carnival

**Pinions**  
Chapter 4 

  
  
***  


"You ready to go, boy? Ready to kick some rich tailfeathers?"

"Waaaark!!"

It was the morning of the big race, and the air was charged with electricity. While Joe wasn't especially chipper (sleeping in chocobo stalls two nights straight will do that for a person's attitude,) Teioh was in seemingly inexhaustible spirits. The black chocobo had been up since the break of dawn, squawking and pecking at the door of his stall, activities not appreciated by the other inhabitants of the barn. 

Teioh's bad behavior had gone on through the morning. When Joe tried to feed him, he had playfully knocked the greens out of the boy's hand and into the water trough. When Joe rolled his sleeves up and tried to fish them out, Teioh had decided his brother needed a bath too.

It had certainly woken Joe up, that much was for certain. 

After drying himself off with a dusty towel left out for wiping down the race chocobos, Joe had decided that Teioh must be asking for some much-needed exercise. Teioh was the picture of a genteel, well- mannered cob the entire time Joe was saddling and bridling him, but when they got to the exercise track, whatever demon was sitting on the black bird's wing came back in full force. Teioh had turned into a speeding, bucking bronco.

Joe had tried his best to slow the galloping chocobo down, but the only thing that happened when he yanked on the reins was a quite spectacular display of kicking and head-ducking, courtesy of Teioh. 

When the gypsy boy had finally gone flying into the soft dirt of the race-field, the first thing he'd felt nudging him back into consciousness was a fluffy, feathered head. 

Even in his wildest moods the bird would not abandon his brother. 

The ride back to the stables had been uneventful, but Joe could sense the underlying tension in the chocobo's psyche. It couldn't be helped though; everyone on the racecourse was hyped about the afternoon competition between Joe and young Rufus Shinra. The bird sensed the tense nerves in the air, and it was just making him hyper. By racetime he'd be back to his normal, docile self.......Or at least that's what Joe hoped. 

When Teioh managed to scrape Joe off underneath the low ceiling of the stable door, the boy began to worry.

***

Eventually Teioh _did_ calm down, although he was still jumpier than usual. Joe fed him an extra- large portion of Tantal Greens and prayed that the chocobo hadn't worn himself out prematurely.

"Brother," he chided the bird "you need to rest yourself!! If you keep this silly behavior up, where will your energy be when you run this afternoon? Plus you got mud all over yourself when you unseated me this morning. Stand still, and I shall make you shine like the eyes of Bahamut!"

The gypsy boy had just begun to groom the black cob's feathers with a metal pick when a voice from outside the stall startled both him and Teioh. 

"Hmmmmph. _This_ is your bird? Doesn't look like much...." 

The voice was high and nasal, and had a snobbish air to it. Joe knew it right off, and mentally cringed.

_Oh Shiva, not him again. Not right now..._

Unfortunately though, it was. The flaming strawberry-blond hair was covered by a silken blue riding cap, but the face was the same. No-one else had those icy blue eyes, the tight-lipped, pale face.......the vague sense of menace that surrounded the boy like a cloud. No, this could only be Rufus Shinra, Joe's opponent.

The rich Shinra heir was dressed to kill. His riding silks were absolutely spotless, flaming orange on blue, and in his pale hands he carried a black leather riding crop, which he switched nervously from hand to hand as he spoke. 

"Is _that_ what you're wearing to the race? Where are your silks? Where's your crop? Have you ever raced professionally at all?"

Joe shook his head in confusion. These were the only clothes he had ever worn to perform, and he had never, _ever_ used any kind of whip on Teioh. To do that would be like whipping a family member, and it would've broken the unspoken bond between boy and bird.

Rufus snorted, breaking Joe's reverie. 

"Hmmpph, I should have known. That.......creature you're riding has probably never even had a crop used on him, has he? Allow me to demonstrate."

Before Joe could react, Rufus had reached over the half-open door and gave Teioh a hard smack across the neck with his leather riding whip.

All hell broke loose.

Teioh did not take kindly to being hit by _anyone_, never mind some stranger in gaudy clothing. With an enraged wark the black cob slammed his beak into the wooden door, shaking the thin panel to it's hinges. In the same move the chocobo had given Rufus's hand a smart peck and snatched the crop from his weak grasp, shaking it in his beak like a dog with a rat.

The black chocobo was still trying his best to get to the Shinra youth when Joe got between the two. The door was already splintered from the flying beak and claws of the chocobo, and the gypsy didn't want to see what they might do to the soft body of Rufus if they were given half a chance. As he had at the train station when the railway worker had upset the bird, Joe intervened and calmed his brother down.

"Shhhh......shhhh......settle down, brother, settle down! Is he worth all this? Is that brightly-dressed clown worth blunting your beak on?.........."

The soft murmuring calmed Teioh, but only slowly. A welt was rising under the black feathers from the sharp slap Rufus had given him, and the bird did not easily forget an injury given. The chocobo's bright eyes never left Rufus as he rose from the ground outside the stall, and they were filled with absolute murder.

Rufus dusted himself off and glared furiously at the chocobo glowering at him from inside the stall. If there was one thing Rufus Shinra hated, it was to be made a fool of. And this bird had frightened him off his feet AND taken his crop. Smoke was practically coming out of his ears by the time he got to his feet again.

"You.............you stupid feather-duster!!" he shrieked in a voice raised several octaves by anger "When I get done racing with you, you won't be worth DOG food!!"

Joe quietly handed the other boy his leather crop, carefully keeping his own body between Rufus and Teioh.

"I think you'd better go now. I need to get ready for the race, you see, and my bird is a little excited."

Rufus glared bloody daggers at both the boy and his bird for a few seconds, then snatched the crop out of the gypsy's outstretched hand and stormed off in a rage, black boots clanking down the hallway. Joe watched him go with relief and a slight sense of dread. 

_This isn't good......he'll be playing for keeps now. I've **GOT** to keep Teioh calm between now and the race._

Easier said than done.

***

_So you didn't see a race, sue me. The pre-race events caught me up and.....well, there you have it. A bit short, but the real meat will be along soon. Yay._


	5. Stormy Weather

Untitled **

Pinions

**  
Chapter 5  
  
*** 

Joe had never like thunderstorms. From the time he was a little child the sound of distant thunder would send him scurrying for cover under the chocobo matriarch's wings. Maybe it was because he had been abandoned on a stormy day. Or perhaps he was just naturally afraid of them the same way some people fear heights. Whatever the reason, Joe always got a knot of anxiety when he saw storm clouds billowing on the horizon. 

Today was no exception. Looking up at the sky from from inside the starting gate, Joe could feel the contents of his stomach rumbling and tossing nervously. 

_Why does it have to do this now? Why couldn't it hold out until we're nice and safe back in the stables?_

The sky was an ominous purple-green colour, clouds broiling and spreading like the contents of an overturned oil tanker. What made this all the more sinister was the fact that the other half of the sky was as clear as a bell, and brilliant blue at that. It was unnatural, and Joe's superstitious nature immediately kicked in as he gazed heavenwards.

_I hope that patch of blue isn't our luck. It will be gone soon; and then the storm will fall._

In the starting gate beside him, looking as snobbish and as confident as ever, sat Rufus Shinra, astride a shining chocobo that dwarfed Teioh in stature. The bird's feathers were the shade of a newly minted penny, and he seemed to be nearly bursting with energy and good health. Joe had never seen anything like him; he wondered if President Shinra had bred this fine fellow himself.

The copper-plumaged chocobo warked nervously and strained at the starting gate, causing Rufus to scowl darkly and swat him hard on the backside with his leather crop. The bird winced once in pain and cowered slightly, obviously used to his master's rough treatment.

Teioh shied at the sound of the whip, remembering how he had been struck, and Joe placed a comforting hand on his neck. It would be a long time before the black cob forgot the ill-treatment he had received, but the gypsy boy had promised that it would never happen again.

_It's a shame that beautiful creature over there is owned by such a dog. The world is an unjust and cruel place sometimes._

The waiting seemed to go on forever. The late afternoon sun shone down on the track, heating the humid air to unbreathable proportions. It was like taking breaths through a warm, wet sponge, and Joe found himself wishing for the thunderstorm, even if it meant getting soaking wet.

That was already a given, though; his black shirt and hat were absorbing the sunshine like solar panels, making the youth sweat heavily. Some nice, cool rainfall would be good for a change, despite the unpleasant effect it would have on the racetrack. The approaching storm persisted in stalling, however; it was as if the rain too was waiting for the elastic gate to snap and signal the downpour.

Joe pulled his hat down lower to block the sun, wiping a trickle of sweat from out of his eye. Rufus saw the idle movement from the other side of the gate and laughed, giving his opponent a disgusted glance.

"Crying already, are you? You should be. When Gil and I are finished, you'll have so much dirt in your eye you'll be weeping _mud!_"

He laughed again, an unpleasant, squeaky sound. Joe ignored the bad joke and continued to stare at the track in front of them.

_ Why won't they let us run?? Are we waiting for the birds to molt or what?! Let's GO!!_

Teioh sensed his brother's nervousness, and showed it by choosing that moment to aim a mighty peck at the mesh door that kept them from the track. Whether it was because of Teioh or just dumb luck Joe never knew, but the gate chose that moment to spring open.

The race was on.

In almost the same moment, a bolt of lightning split the heavens with a thunderous crack. The sun disappeared behind the pall of clouds, the track darkened, and the heavens burst open like an overripe watermelon. The storm had started, and with it came rain so thick that visibility was cut down to nil.

Joe could barely see the outline of the track's fence as they flashed by; everything other than Teioh's outstretched neck and the strip of turf in front of him was a watery blur. He wore no goggles, and was depending solely on his bird's instinct to get them through this race intact.

Rufus, on the other hand, wore racing goggles that fitted snugly down over the eyes when called for. For once his common sense had kicked in, and the rich boy had pulled his eyewear down shortly before the gates opened. He had his own troubles, though; Gil wasn't used to running in muddy conditions and was faltering badly, desperately trying to keep up his speed and balance as the mud sucked at his claws.

Teioh had no real trouble with the mud, being used to running over all sorts of terrain, but he still wasn't running at his top speed. The rain was the black chocobo's main problem, the bird being almost as blinded as his rider. Joe wondered how much longer either of them could continue the race in these conditions without risking a serious accident, and decided then and there that if it came down to money versus the safety of his brother, he would take the latter and be gone.

The fates had different ideas that day, however. The rain slacked off from a blowing gale to a steady downpour, and visibility rose almost as suddenly as it had dropped. The slick brown ribbon of the track appeared before Joe's eyes, while underneath him Teioh jumped forward as if shot from a cannon.

His speed was blinding, and Joe's hat was blown back in the wind, the only thing stopping it from fluttering off into the mud the elastic band wrapped snugly under the boy's chin. He whooped and cheered Teioh on, his long black hair whipping in the wind of their passing.

"Wheeeeeee!!! Faster brother, faster!!"

Teioh, always eager to please, sped up a notch, clearly enjoying this release of his energies. The two were having so much fun they almost forgot about the competition..........until Gil's head suddenly appeared at the black chocobo's flank.

Rufus was whipping the bird as hard as he could, slashing away with the crop in one hand while hauling away at the reins with the other. And despite the brutal treatment his rider was dishing out, Gil was gaining, and running to win. Another push of the strong legs, and the copper-feathered wonder was beak and beak with Teioh.

The two stayed even for a moment, and then Gil's body shot forward again, leaving Joe and Teioh to stare in wonderment at the bird's tail bobbing away in front of them.

Joe let out an anguished cry.

"NO!!"

Teioh's eyes narrowed down to blue slits. With an angry wark, the chocobo rocketed forward, nearly unseating his young rider as he heaved forward on churning legs. If he had been going fast before, he was positively _flying_ now. Joe felt the bird's muscles bunching and releasing frantically underneath him, and he knew there was no way _anyone_ could control his brother at this moment. It would be like trying to guide a meteor through it's orbit.

The world began to blur, colours blending and bleeding together as Teioh reached his top speed. Joe was hanging on for dear life now; he knew they had passed Gil and his rider when a bright spot of burnished copper flashed by his watering eyes and disappeared into the background.

By the time bird and rider hit the finish line, they had broken all of the standing records for chocobo racers, and had left a stunned crowd of racing afficianados and gypsies in their wake.

Joe up in his stirrups and yelled into the chocobo's earholes frantically.

"It's over brother, it's _over!!_ You WON!! WE won!!"

Teioh kept up his blinding pace for a few seconds more, then slowed down, feathers streaked with sweat and mud. He had given it his supreme effort and come out on top, just like Joe knew he would._ No one_ beat Teioh - no, not even an expensively trained racing bird like Gil. Still, the other chocobo had given them a good fight, even if the same couldn't be said for his rider.

Joe turned Teioh around to greet the other racer as he crossed the finish line, expected to see a throughly beaten but still racing Rufus and Gil.

Instead, all he saw was Gil crumpled in the mud of the racetrack, Rufus kicking his fallen form like it was a feathered soccer ball.

***

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	6. Indecent Proposal

Pinions

**Pinions**  
Chapter 6  
  
***  


For better or for worse, Gil never felt the punishment his rider gave him as he lay in the racetrack mud that evening. The raceside vet said the bird's heart must have exploded from being pushed too hard, and maybe this was true. However, Joe had his own theories on what had killed the magnificent chocobo.

_A fine one like that.......perhaps..........perhaps he died of a broken heart. No chocobo likes to be beaten, especially not one of that rank._

Rufus had to be pulled away from the body, in such a rage was he. Joe had never seen such a fit of bad sportsmanship in his life, and had been quite glad to see the boy go. Now he and Teioh were standing in what was left of the rainfall, paying their last respects to the poor creature who had, for a moment, almost beaten them.

".......And may the Fat Chocobo guide you to the green fields of the Lifestream," Joe finished, making an arcane symbol in the air. Teioh echoed his words with a low "warrrrk," bobbing his head in what might have been a nod.

Joe shook his head sadly, staring at the corpse in the rain, then turned to lead Teioh back to the stalls through the crowd of gypsies and onlookers that had gathered on the racetrack. His way was barred, however, by President Shinra, holding his sullen, soiled son by the hand.

"Well then!" the fat man boomed, grinning - or was he grimacing? - quite broadly. "That bird of yours is marvellous, quite incredible. Too bad about Gil, though. He was a pretty good piece of stock....it'll be awhile before we get another one _that_ good in, eh Rufus?"

Rufus's scowl had begun to fade during his father's spheel, slowly morphing from a look of annoyance to one of deep thought. The boy was plotting something, and when Joe noticed the look on his face, he felt a slight twinge of worry.

".....Now Rufus," Shinra prattled on, "Shake hands with....erm, was the name Joe?.......shake hands with Joe here, and be a good sportsman." 

Rufus stepped forward, looking determined. 

Joe grudgingly took a step towards the heir, extending his free hand with the hesitance one would save for picking up a baby Zolem. He'd rather not even touch the fellow, but it was better to let bygones be bygones.

However, Rufus ignored the other boy's outstretched hand, raising his own slender digits in a point - straight at Teioh.

"Daddy," he said, voice deathly quiet for once, "I want that chocobo. That one right there."

A deathly silence descended over the small group. Joe blinked in shock; he had expected many things from Rufus Shinra at this moment, but...........he wanted _Teioh?_

After a few moments, President Shinra, looking slightly uncomfortable, cleared his throat and spoke, laughing nervously. "Now now Rufus, we'll get you another chocobo later. I'll call the breeder and tell him to-..."

"No," Rufus snarled, turning on his father in a spate of rage, "I want _THAT_ one. You say we can't find a chocobo as good as Gil? Well we have, and there he is. He's ten times the bird that filthy piece of offal Gil was, and I want him. **Now.**"

President Shinra tried to start again. "Rufus, be reasonab-"

"NOW!" the boy screamed, stamping a booted foot in the mud.

Shinra took a step away from his son like he feared a blow, then turned and shrugged at the crowd, another broad grin splitting his features. He couldn't punish the boy for his actions - after all, he had acted much the same way when he was a lad. It was even endearing, in an odd way. He turned around to face Joe.

The bloated entrepreneur pulled out his wallet and began thumbing through gil marks casually, a smug look now etched on his pasty face. He was obviously used to this.

"Alright.......how much?"

Joe looked confused for a moment, then realized what the rich man was propositioning. His grip on Teioh's reins tightened involuntarily, and he shook his head, tugging at his hat brim nervously.

"I'm sorry good sir, but my brother is not for sale," he said, picking the words deliberately. "Not at any price."

Aluicious Shinra was quite used to having his way. In the world of the rich and powerful, there was no such thing as a priceless item, a person or thing totally devoid of monetary value. He stood staring at the gypsy boy for a full minute before bursting into hearty peals of laughter.

"The lad has a sense of humor, eh?" he chuckled to himself, returning his attention to the fat wallet. "Seriously though, how much will you take for the creature? 5,000 gil? 6,000?"

Joe shook his head again, this time backing away ever so slightly. "No sir. He's not for sale." 

Teioh, sensing his brother's nervousness, warked and bobbed his head in an agitated fashion, nearly jerking the reins out of Joe's hand. Shinra's eyes darted to the animal rocking back and forth on his claws, then back to the boy's face. Surely this gypsy couldn't be refusing his offer!

"Come come now boy, don't be difficult," he said, the smile fading as he realized that the gypsy youth _was_ serious. "10,000? 20,000?"

An audible gasp came from the crowd that surrounded them. 20,000 gil was an unheard of sum to the caravan. With that much they wouldn't have to perform or travel ever again. Several pairs of eyes locked on the boy, wishing, hoping, and waiting.

Joe felt his heart skip a few beats at the sum. _20,000 gil? Fat Chocobo, with that much I could....._

A gentle nudge from behind prodded the boy back into the real world. Teioh stood looking at his friend and rider with total innocence, pushing his head affectionately against Joe's back. He obviously didn't understand why the gypsy youth had gone so silent, and was making sure his brother was alright.

"Wark?" the black chocobo asked, staring at Joe with his large black eyes. There was nothing but total trust and devotion in those shining orbs - how could he betray that? No.

_.................No. I cannot do this thing. How could I even **consider** selling my own flesh and blood?!_

".....I'm sorry Mr. Shinra," the boy spoke at last, ".......but I do not sell my relatives, and that is final."

Shinra's face fell like the Tower of Babel. He sputtered incoherently for a few moments before Rufus answered for the both of them.

"You _idiot!_" the boy spat, storming out from behind his father. "Don't you know I can have whatever I want? Daddy, _get me that chocobo!"_

The Shinra heir's voice was reaching unheard-of octaves, and it was all Joe could do not to cover his ears - either that or give the other lad a right hook in the nose. The elder Shinra's face looked like a thundercloud as he pushed his son out of the way and loomed over the gyspy boy, shaking a fat finger in his face.

"Now listen here lad, is this some kind of a joke?" he roared, jowls dancing like swamp slime. "I don't have time for your little parlor games - sell me the bird and be done with it, or so help me I won't even _pay_ you for the blasted creature."

Joe stood stunned for a few moments before the implications of this finally sunk in. 

_Sweet Shiva, he plans on taking Teioh whether I sell him or not!_

Panic begin to creep into the boy's psyche. Shinra could easily take Teioh away without batting an eyelid - who would stop him? This was a man who could most probably murder with impunity - stealing a chocobo from some no-name gypsy would be like yawning for the energy tycoon.

As if reading Joe's thoughts, Shinra spoke again, this time in a low, sinister whisper.

"You think anyone is going to care if I take that bird from you, _boy?_" he sneered, glowering down into the travelling boy's face. "I control the law here - I'd suggest you give that bird up now, preferably in a quiet fashion. We don't want to have......._trouble_, do we?"

Joe's eyes widened, and he backed up, edging closer to his chocobo. It wasn't fear for himself that made the lad back away - it was the thought of Teioh under the whip of Rufus that struck at his heart. At the same time Rufus, tired of waiting for his father to make the necessary arrangements, darted forward and tried to pry the reins out of the other boy's hand.

"Give...me...that...bird!" he yelped, jerking at the leather straps frantically. Teioh reared angrily at the sight of the hated boy, delivering a mighty peck to the boy's hand. Rufus let out a yelp of pain and fell the to ground crying, holding his injured hand against his body.

Aluicious Shinra finally lost his temper.

"Take the damn bird from him _now_!" he demanded, practically dancing on the racetrack in anger.

"No!" Joe shrieked, jerking the reins away from the temporarily incapacitated Rufus. In a panic, he leapt onto the back of the the black bird, years of expertise giving his perfect balance and aim.

Teioh reared at this unexpected weight, lurched forward, and began to run, neck and wings stretched foreward like a pack of bandersnatch were at his heels. In a way they were - everyone on the estate began chasing after them, angry shouts and the sounds of pursuing feet ringing in the boy's ears.

Joe, however, did not plan on being caught, not after what had just occurred. He knew what would happen if they were ever captured - he would most certainly be punished in some unpleasant way, and Teioh would be given to Rufus Shinra. The thought made him shudder, and the boy rider let the reins out, giving the chocobo his head completely.

Teioh sprang ahead as if rocket-propelled. Free of the restraining hold of the reins, the bird went freedom-crazy, running as he had not run since those early years on the Kalm Plains. The white fence of the racetrack rose to meet them, and the black chocobo sprang over the hurdle like it was nothing more than a forest stream. He landed on the opposite side with a thump, quickly regaining his footing and fleeing on ahead, across the green yard that surrounded the racing track.

Joe was holding on for his life now. Although they had left the crowd behind at the racetrack, he knew they wern't safe just yet - as long as they were on Shinra's estate, the two were in grave danger.

The back yard was soon crossed, and ahead loomed the final hurdle - the brick fence that surrounded the entire estate of Aluicious Shinra. All too suddenly Joe realized that the enclosure was far too high for even Teioh to jump, and that they were either going to run full-on into the rough red surface, or be cornered and caught by Shinra's hired hands. He instinctively pulled his hat down tight, locking his legs around the chocobo's barrel and tightening his grip on the bird's neck feathers in preparation for the impact that was surely about to occur.

Teioh's muscles tightened, and Joe clamped his eyes shut.

_This is it. We're going to smash against that wall like a thrown egg._

Nothing happened for a few seconds, then a mighty flapping of wings assailed the gypsy boy's ears. Joe opened his eyes, expecting to see the brick wall ahead.

Instead all he saw was blue sky and black feathers.

_Teioh's.........Teioh's **flying?!!**_

The black chocobo was beating his wings frantically, trying to keep airborne. The combined efforts of a mighty spring into the air and his powerful wings had gotten the two high into the air, but for how long the bird could keep it up Joe was not sure - he hadn't even known black chocobos _could_ fly before now.

Teioh cleared the brick wall's edge by a foot, then dropped like a stone on the other side. As soon as the chocobo's claws hit the pavement they were off again, into the maze of Upper Midgar.

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